Letters to the Editor: 04.16.06

Texans are putting on tremendous amounts of weight, exposing
themselves to expensive and life-threatening illness and disease.
Obesity is starting in the first years of life. I should know: It forms
the basis of my practice as a children's diabetes specialist in South
Texas.

More than 61 percent of Texas adults and 35 percent of Texas
school-age children are overweight or obese. The obesity epidemic hurts
our schools and workplaces through absenteeism and lost productivity.
An average-size school district loses $95,000 in state aid per year
just due to the rate of absenteeism among overweight students.

The good news is that Texans can prevent and reverse childhood
obesity with education, diet, and physical activity. In 2001,
legislators passed Senate Bill 19, requiring daily physical activity
for all children in kindergarten through grade 6.

During the 2005 legislative session, SB 42 passed, requiring
physical activity through middle and junior high school. The State
Board of Education still needs to adopt rules that would set forth how
local school systems will implement the SB 42 physical activity
requirements.

On April 27 and 28, the State Board of Education is meeting to make
these important decisions. The physicians of Texas trust that the board
will do the right thing and prescribe daily exercise for Texas' youth.
South Texans are on the leading edge of the obesity epidemic. A phone
call or e-mail to your state and federal representatives is very easy
to do. Speak up for children!

Stephen W. Ponder M.D.,

(Director, Children's Diabetes and

Endocrine Center of South Texas)

Help the homeless

We will always have the homeless until the community lets those
trying to change have the opportunity to do so. The area where the
center would have been (if the door had not been closed) would have
been helpful, especially to the children.

As a community, we all need to help those trying to change do just
that.

The people who would have been at the center would have had to want
to be there and obey the rules of decent society.

Where they are now keeps them feeling like outcasts, with no chance
to join working, home-owning, school-educated, driving residentws and
having respect for self and others here in Corpus Christi and the
nation.

Louise Wasson

Easter story

A murder was committed. Quite a crowd witnessed the event but no one
knows who did it.

There doesn't seem to be a body, but hundreds say they saw him alive
later.

The ultra-religious Jewish folks said they didn't do it.

The Roman government at the time said they didn't do it.

Witnesses were gentile folks, but they said they didn't do it.

Turns out, it was the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was murdered. He
was placed on an old rugged cross, and spikes driven through his hands
and feet, impaling him on it.

Turns out also that it was you and it was me who are responsible for
causing him to be murdered. It was our sin being paid for.

We find in the Bible that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And it is appointed
unto man once to die but after that the judgment (Hebrews 9:7).

Did you know that according to the Bible, if we all confess with our
mouth, the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God has raised him
from the dead, we shall be saved (Romans 10:9). Saved from being afraid
to face the judgement.

He is risen! Rejoice, and again I say, rejoice!

Ward R. Whitehead

Symbol for city

Recently one of Corpus Christi's most prominent citizens, Dr. Ray
Graf, focused attention on our downtown renovation, and made a great
suggestion that our city create a small land mass (or use one that
currently exists) that would display a large American flag (illuminated
at night).

This would serve as ever-present testimony that Corpus Christi is an
"All America City," a place where the wind blows, the cotton grows, the
oil flows, and the fish bite every day.

Lets all tell our good mayor and City Council that we will be glad
to make a contribution to such an outstanding monument.

I want all Nueces County residents to fully understand that I am
endorsing not only the best Democrat, but the best person for the
November election, Judge James Klager.

Judge Klager's experience far outweighs that of his opponent. Judge
Klager is an outstanding jurist. He is a hard-working, no-nonsense
judge. Judge Klager is smart and knows the law. He has support across
the community. Judge Klager treats everyone with respect.

Judge Klager and I ran a clean campaign. We both adhere to high
standards of campaigning.

To my supporters, I say thank you, and I will never forget your hard
work. It is a great honor that thousands of Nueces County residents
believe that I would make an excellent judge. I ask my supporters to
vote for a highly skilled and honorable man, Judge James Klager, in
November.

The recent announcement in the sheriff's race prompted me to make
this early endorsement. I have always been a very loyal Democrat and
will continue to endorse the principles of the Democratic Party.
Justice should not be for the few; it should be for all.

God bless Judge James Klager on his re-election, and God bless all
the citizens of Nueces County.

Hector Rene Gonzalez

Club failed kids

I believe the Boys and Girls Club's purpose is to provide
educational entertainment and welfare for all children. By the recent
squabbles that the governing board has had, apparently it is not so.
(Reference: Caller-Times article, April 8.)

How ironic that the "non-profit" organization has reneged on the
deal with Mr. Al Gonzalez, the benefactor of the Brownlee Boulevard
facility, and now have decided to return it to him. The Boys and Girls
Club organization wants to "quit" working with the children from the
Brownlee area and go find a new facility in another part of the
city.

Were the children from the Brownlee facility too difficult to
manage? Were they the cause of the management squabbles and the
subsequent decision to pack up and leave the Westside area?

What has been brought to light is that the organization is
management- weak; to have had squabbles within its board and having to
dismiss members did not bring about factual resolve.

The Boys and Girls Club was a failure at the Brownlee facility. Now
it wants to uproot and take its problems elsewhere.

Raynaldo Yrlas

Support needed

I have been impressed since I arrived in Corpus Christi with the
depth and breadth of services that Metro Ministries offers.

They have an excellent board that is definitely "for" the betterment
of our community. I'm proud of our church and several other
congregations that support Metro Ministries financially.

The need for expanding their services to the less fortunate in our
community is certainly beyond question. The poor have few if any
choices when it comes to providing the necessities for their families,
let alone needed dental and medical care. And the Bible clearly
mandates our care of "the last, the least and the lost."

I am concerned that instead of reaching out to provide for the
homeless and the working poor, a few "loud voices of fear" have taken
control of the discussion about the expansion of Metro Ministries.

I'm further dismayed that our City Council is also considering
ordinances that would essentially prevent that expansion from happening
anywhere in the city.

My hope and prayer is that our community will give strong support to
Metro Ministries, an organization which is actually addressing the
difficult social problems we face daily in Corpus Christi instead of
just talking about them.

It's time now for all those who have quietly supported Metro
Ministries over the years, through their prayers, gifts and service, to
speak out in support of the expansion of this marvelous ministry.